


It's Okay, Keep Breathing.

by katasstropheee



Category: Charmed (TV 2018)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Panic Attacks, Platonic Relationships, Romantic (if you squint)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:46:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24817828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katasstropheee/pseuds/katasstropheee
Summary: Maggie feels Jordan in the midst of a panic attack.
Relationships: Jordan Chase/Maggie Vera
Comments: 9
Kudos: 12





	It's Okay, Keep Breathing.

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the song "Attack of Panic" by Aly & Aj.
> 
> Out of nowhere, I felt inspired to write something for Maggie and Jordan. The plot felt natural, and I do enjoy their relationship. Whether it becomes something more or stays platonic, I won't mind. As long as they keep the essence of the characters, I am good.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy. _Kudos and comments are always appreciated too._

Maggie shoots up in her bed, a sudden ache in her stomach growing. She ignores the nausea and plants her hands on the mattress for stability.

It was a quiet Friday evening, not uncommon for the Vera-Vaughn household. Once a socialite at heart, Maggie now appreciates the moments of peace at the end of the day. Demon-fighting was the new normal, and no amount of beauty sleep could get rid of the ache that now sat deep in their bones. Still, any chance to simply relax was not taken lightly.

So in this moment of mitigation, one breath away from falling asleep, she should not be feeling this agitated.

And yet.

Her enhanced abilities are fresh and unfamiliar. She has used them briefly in times of crisis but has very little understanding of what they are, or how to properly use them. The spontaneous flare-ups aren’t as rare. Any overbearing emotions that fluctuate in Maggie’s close proximity are immediately picked up. Like now.

But upon further inspection of her surroundings, she can’t quite determine where the feelings are coming from. Both of her sisters are sound asleep, dreaming peacefully. So she closes her eyes and pushes her powers out further, almost reaching its limitation. Her forehead creases with concentration.

Then she feels it again – an overwhelming sensation of pure dread. She clutches her chest as it infiltrates her senses. A familiar presence accompanies the feeling, and that’s when she finally figures it out.

“Harry!”

Her cry catches his attention quicker than she expected. He orbs in, still dressed in his pressed trousers, and immediately takes in the pained expression on his caller’s face. “Maggie!” he exclaims in worry, taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

“It’s not me” she assures as his hand rubs small circles into her back. “It’s… I think it’s Jordan.”

His comforting motion suddenly ceases. “Bu- But how? Is it a premonition?”

“No.” She winces as another tremor runs down her back. Harry resumes his comforting gesture. “I can’t see him but… it’s like I’m in his head. I can barely make out his thoughts. There’s just… there’s so much pain. Harry, he needs us.”

“Okay, okay.” He helps her stand from the bed, catching her arms as she fails to stand straight. “Do you have a location?”

She nods, her eyes shutting against the dizziness of being stood upright so hastily. “Safe Space.”

He grips her tightly as he orbs. A second later, they are on solid ground once again. He has landed on the second level of the empty building. Of course no one would be there at almost one in the morning. Its emptiness is startling in comparison to the warmth and familiarity of the manor.

Still, Maggie is hardly focused on how she is currently feeling. Jordan’s energy is all around her now, and she is simply doing her best to not let it crush her under its weight.

“He’s here.”

They turn, Harry still bracing Maggie’s arms, and face the gym. The lights along the back of the room are on, leaving the rest in shadow. They slowly approach the door, unlocked and wide open. Maggie could not sense any immediate danger coming from the empty space. She knew not to expect any. But Harry was tense, ready in case he needed to fight or flee quickly. “It’s alright Harry” she said, patting his shoulder in an attempt to ease the tension in his muscles. “I think this is something else.”

“What do you mean?”

Through the silence of the centre, Maggie finally caught a small sign of commotion. Walking further in, they glance around a small wall, separating the workout area from the small change-rooms. That’s where she finds him.

Jordan Chase is a shell of the person Maggie recognises. His confidence and level-head are buried beneath an overabundance of panic and fear. Being this close to it is having a calming effect on her. Like she’s just reached the heart of the tornado, out of the way of the wind and flying debris.

“Well I was not expecting this.”

“Me neither” she answers honestly. She knew the danger wasn’t physical, but otherwise she had not known what to expect. Certainly not the man himself hunched over in the corner, face buried in his arms and shuddering in a disorderly rhythm.

“Should I… um-“ Harry feels out of his element. He is unaware of Jordan’s medical history, so he doesn’t know what exactly needs healing.

Maggie is more familiar with this feeling, so she turns to Harry. “I’ve got this. You can go home.”

“Are you sure, Maggie?”

“Yes.” Her answer is firm, and calms the small part of Harry that was worried for the young witch. “I think it’s best if it’s just me here. But I’ll call you if I need to.”

“Okay. I’ll be listening.” He lets her go slowly, making sure she doesn’t sway before releasing her completely. With one last glance of concern towards Jordan, he orbs away.

Without his appeasing presence, Maggie starts to feel hollow. But she shakes that feeling away and brings all of her own concern back to the present.

She approaches Jordan with an extra level of tentativeness, keeping her footsteps quietly and arms raised in yield. She says his name aloud, softly, but fails to get his attention. Once she is close enough, she kneels down and sits on her legs. She observes the way his body retreats from the world around him, like he’s hiding from a monster she can’t see. She can hear his sobs spluttering out from where they’ve been buried deep in his chest. This moment has a familiar twinge to it, one Maggie can recall in perfect detail.

She had been in a place like this once – unable to breathe, reacting to every small motion like it was gigantic, and backing so far into herself until there was no way out. But Jordan had pulled her out, and was the reassure calm that slowed her breathing and calmed her mind. Now she wanted nothing more than to do the same for him.

She knows it’s unwise to touch someone when they are in a panic this deep. But if she is to help him, she needs to reach him. Touch is the only way her powers can work. So she takes one hand, and as delicate as she can be, she places a hand on the exposed skin of his forearm.

The touch immediately throws her back, her head lifted to the ceiling and eyes wide. She catches flashes of dust and blood as his memories flow through her. The moment feels like it stretches on forever, but she’s careful. She knows how easy it can be to get lost in another’s emotions. She uses the sensation of Jordan’s heartbeat, throbbing against her fingers, to stay grounded.

…

He blinks, unearthing his face from his hands. They still tremble, but he can breathe through it now. He sighs, shifting his body to a more comfortable position. But then he catches the small pressure on his arm. Looking up, he is surprised to see Maggie sitting beside him – head thrown back, eyes closed, cheeks damp with tears.

“Maggie?” he asks hesitantly.

Her eyes shoot open at the voice. It breaks through the fog that momentarily clouded her thoughts, and brings her back to the moment. There’s a cramp in her right leg, but it feels subtle as she reassesses Jordan’s heartbeat. It’s slow and steady.

“Jordan. Are you okay?”

“I am… _now_. Wait. Was that you?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

He hums in amazement. He is no longer a stranger to the magical abilities of Maggie and her sisters, but it still never ceases to surprise him when he witnesses it. “How’d you know?”

“I could feel it.” She glances up, taking in Jordan’s curious tilt. “I, uh… I think I can tell when the people I care about are in trouble, even if they aren’t close.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. You know, it’s an empath thing” She quips.

He laughs at the jest, leaning heavily into the wall as he reclines back as far as it’ll let him from his perch. “Well, I’m glad you did. I- I don’t think I could’ve escaped that by myself.”

“Was that… PTSD?” There’s a moment where Jordan’s eyes dip, and the corner of his lips wrinkle as the small ounce of joy that was there vanishes. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me. It’s cool.”

“No, no. It’s… it’s okay.” He leans his head back till it’s resting on the wall. “I don’t really talk about it much anymore. I haven’t had an attack in months.”

This new side of Jordan is foreign, and Maggie feels like she’s intruding on something she’s not allowed to see. But Jordan is looking at her again; his soft gaze is a warm welcome into his madness. “I know it’s late but…” He hesitates, before resting an open hand on his knee. “Will you stay with me?”

She looks astonished at the gesture. “I- Yeah. Of course.” Her body groans in appreciation as she stretches out her legs. She rests her back against the brick wall, sitting at his side close enough to press into his shoulder. Then she finally takes his outstretched hand and places it gently in her lap. “As long as you need me, I’ll be here.”

She looks up and reflects a smile right back into his. “Thanks Mags. For this, and everything else.”

She shrugs. “You would do the same for me. You _have_ done the same for me.”

“Yeah.” He recalls the scene vividly. “Anytime.”

**Author's Note:**

> Request a fic, or simply follow me over on [@katasstrophee](http://katasstrophee.tumblr.com/).


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